High-pressure press



Dec. 10, 1929.

S. HILLER HIGH PRESSURE PRESS Filed Sept. 1924 Patented Dec. 10,1929

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NITED STATES PA E "OFFIEE STANLEY FILLER, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A SSIG NOR T STANLEY INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

HIGH-PRESSURE IRESS Application filed September 8, 1924. Serial No. 735,654.

The present invention relates to high pressure presses, and comprises improvements in the press structure disclosed in copending ap'- plication, Serial Number 724,662, filed July 7,

In the operation of the press disclosed in the copending application, owing to the enormous pressures developed in the press body, it has been found that the problem of holding the plates rigidly in operation so that no relative movements of the lates can occur presents serious practical di culties. These difiiculties are accentuated by the interior stepped surfaces formed by the conical plate openings, due to the fact that unbalancedpressures are set up in the body, and if any slight play or relative movement of the plates develops, the stresses of high pressure operation rapidly wear the plates and the life of the press is shortened. In spite of the most careful and exactconstruction and assembly of the press in initially setting the presses up in the course of manufacture, the proper precautions are not used in cleaning the body and reassembling so that in practical-operation the life of the press body, as disclosed in the copending case, has been demonstrated to be too short, and the care and expense necessary in manufacture and maintenance are too great to .meet the requirements for a commercially successful high pressure press. Various forms of built up plate body presses have been proposed, but none of the prior presses have been satisfactory for high prescopending application is perfectly "satisfactory and will operate continuously at much higher pressures than the prior built-up plate body presses, due to the locking or keying of the plates together with the knife bar, the sturdy four point support, and the shape of the plates. However, to attain the range of pressure made possible by the improved screw and drivingstructure, of the coperiding case in continuous operation and during a long life, so that maximum efliciency' may be at tained at a low manufacturing cost, the present improved method of holding and aligning the plates has been provided and has in practice proven-to be highly satisfactory. The imsure operation. The press disclosed in the provement consists in utilizing three supports instead of four. One of these supports is preferably made adjustable and so arranged that the plates may be tightly clamped in the three supports for operation in a man- W ner to prevent relative sliding movements of the plates, and may be loosened to permit separation of the plates for cleaning purposes. A further result of my improvement in the supporting structure of theplates is that a" much greater number of plates may be held in position for high'pressure operation. This feature becomes of great importance in enabling rigid press structures to be built up with a great number of very finescreen openings rather than with fewer-openings of larger area. The result is that a high pressure screw press may be constructed, so that substantially no gurry or finely divided solid particles pass through with the expressed liquids, while the total area for the egress of liquids remains ample. Many very fine screen openings may in this manner he formed, while at the same time great strength of body is provided. The spacing lugs on the plates can be rapidly finished down in surface grinders to form spaces as small as .001 of an inch in width, although it is found that for ordinary high pressure pressing of oil bearing materials openings of .005 with plates one-eighth inch in thickness gives excellent results.

The reduction in space opening between the plates may be carried to such limits that no fine solids can pass through the openings and clear liquids are expressed, resulting in a novel high pressure continuous filter press. The filter body is made up of thin sheet metal stampings without spacing projections or lugs, held in a body in the same manner as set forth for the thicker plates. The natural buckle of the plates due to stamping and the inherent resilience of the metal'leaves numerous very fine passa es between the plates for the egress. of uids even when the plates are clamped together as tightly as posslble. These openings are so fine as to prevent the passage of solid particles, outward and any particles which are forced between the plates encounter tightly enga ed surfaces which trap them. The screw in t is type of press is preferably made a neat fit to wipe the interior edges of the plates, and the press will operate relatively long times before it becomes necessary to separate the plates-for cleaning. Due to the resilience of the plates and the method of clamping them 1 together, the screen openings are readlly ad justable by the simple expedient of loosening or tightening the clamping nuts to draw up or permit the slightly buckled plates to spring outward. In this manner a Very close adjustment of screen openings may be made. Where itis desired .tohave larger openin s than are available due to the natural buck e of the plates, -a crinkled or slightly corrugated shape may be provided in the stampmg process. It will be noted in this form that no need exists for the provision of flaring or releasing openings in the screen body as in the case of larger screen openings because of the fact that the openings are so fine as'to prevent the solids from passing through, but are ample under the pressures developed to permit the egress of liquids. It is a welLknow-nfact that punched or stamped holes are'slightly conical in shape, due to the manner in whlch the metal naturally shears and the central openings for the thin plates may be madenaturally conical.

When used as a filter press the enlarged areas 'of the openings will be toward the feed end, and the smaller area openings will be toward the discharge end. This forms a surface with a great number of steps shaped to prevent the solid materials from being forced into the openings between the filter plates. a

Accordingly, the objects of the invention are to provide new and improved high pressure press arrangements; to provide a novel filter press arrangement, and such other objects as may be attained by a utilization of the principles and apparatus herein set forth,

and defined by theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings- Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the improved plate body construction.

Fig.2 is a sectional view along line AA 9 Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the shape of the plates for both forms of presses.

Fig.,4 is a fragmental sectional view of the filter press body.

The general press arrangement, structure a and operation is the same as set forth in the copending application, and the descriptions of like parts and operations will not be repeated here, as a full understanding may be-had by reference to the copending case.

Like parts when referred to will be given the same reference numerals as in the copending case and the changed parts willbe indicated by numerals beginning with 200.

Secured to the lower rods 33 by clamps 200 are lower plate supporting and aligning bars 201 which extend along the body of the press between feed hopper casting 1 and clamping plate 40. Plates 42 are-provided with shoulders 202 which seat snugly between bars 201 when the parts are in assembled relation as shown in Fig. 2. Accurately formed on the upper edge of each plate 42 is a clamping and aligning projection 203. Cooperating with projections 203 is an aligning and clamping bar 204 which is guided for movement and fits snugly in slots 205 formed incross'supports 206. Cross supports 206 are rigidly clamped between and supported from upper'rods 33 by means of clamping caps 207. Supported in each cross support 206 is an adjust-mg screw 208 provided with a lock nut 209, and arranged to force bar 204 downward against projections 203. Bars 201 and members 206 are positioned in the erection of the press so that when screws 208 are tightened,

ar 204 will press downward on projections 203 and will hold the plates rigidly 1n position. .Owin to the fact that only three supporting mem ers are utilized, the plates will readily and accurately align themselves. As set forth in the copending case, the plates 42 are held in position between feed hopper 1 and plate 40 by clamping nuts 41. To separate the plates 42 for cleaning, screws 208 and nuts41 are loosened, and the plates may then be moved apart. To assemble after cleaning, nuts 41 and screws 208 are tightened and the plates will be aligned and locked in a rigid body. As in the copending case, knife bar 53 fits in slots 52 of plates 42 with a snug sliding fit in a manner to key the plates together and to assist in preventing relative movements of the plates under high pressure operating I stresses, and is also provided with check projections extending mto the'screw interruptions.

The plates as shown in Fig. 1 are provided with spacing projections, as set forth in the copending case. In the filter press arrangement,.the plates 42 are made of thin sheet metal stampings. The shape of, manner of supporting, manner of lamping the lates, and remaining structure s the same as or the press utilizin spacing lugs on the plates. The natural ckle in these thin stamped plates, or the crinkles orcorruga-tions when stamped therein, provide a very fine spacing, v

of such a nature that liquids will be forced outward in the spaces by the high screw pressures, but finely divided solids cannot pass outward through these openings. Clear liquids will accordingly be ca-ughtin the drain pan 36, and the solids will pass out of the discharge hopper 39. in the form of ress cake; By adjusting nuts 41, owing to t e natural resilience of the buckled, corrugated, or wavy plates, the plates will spread or may be compressed to vary the openings. When nuts 41 have been set to the desired positions, screws a ema be set to force bar 204 intoclamping position. As in the'case of the press shown in Fig. 1, the plates may be separated for cleaning and then clamped into operating position. By tightening nuts 41 and screws 208 properly the plates will be brou ht back into alignment and will be rigidly he d. Bar

53 in this case also acts to key the plates together.

When using the press to handle materials such as olives, which rapidly corrode ordinary brass or steel plates, I have found that aparticularlyefiective press may be made by using Monel metal.

' Having described preferred embodiments of my invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A high pressure press comprising a body section built up of thin buckled resilient plates, a central opening in each of said.

plates; means for clamping said plates together with said central openings aligned and with varying pressures to vary the spaces be-- tween said plates; and a high pressure screw disposed in aligned central openings.

5 2. A body for high pressure screw presses comprising a plurality of thin buckled resilient plates; a central opening in each of said plates; a set of aligned slots in said plates; a v

. knife bar fitting snugly in said slots providing a guide for the resilient movement of said plates; a plurality of spaced supporting members engaging said plates exteriorly thereof for holding said plates rigidly in alignment under high operating pressures;

. andmeans for clamping said plates in abutment.

- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

STANLEY HILLER. 

